Vikes seek 2-0 start

When Valencia’s football team hosts Birmingham at 7 p.m. today, all eyes may very well be on Vikings junior running back Steven Manfro.

Manfro earned that attention with 309 all-purpose yards last week.

Rushing for 194 yards and two touchdowns, the 5-foot-10 inch, 176-pound running back was also the team’s leading receiver with seven catches for 115 yards and another score in a thrilling 39-36 win at Thousand Oaks High School.

“We see (Manfro) work every day, so there is a certain amount of expectation,” said Valencia head coach Larry Muir “But at the same time, I thought he did a great job.”

If Birmingham head coach Jim Rose gets his wish, the game will be another shootout for the Vikings (1-0), as Rose said he is counting on his offense to match Valencia blow for blow.

“If we win, it’s not going to be 14-7,” Rose said. “They have a great running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and he runs the ball well. We have to focus on stopping (Manfro).”

But Muir said Valencia has other weapons on the team for the Patriots (0-2) to worry about.

“I think we’ve got to get Zach Tartabull and Brock Vereen the ball a little bit more,” Muir said. “Those guys are playmakers. Those guys do a great job on both sides of the ball.”

Muir said his team needs to address another issue — tackling.

“We have to get ourselves into good position,” Muir said, “(The team has) got to keep the ball in front of us and not allow any big plays. We’ve got to force them to go the length of the field a first down at a time.”